Faith

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They called it the Miracle of Coogan’s Bluff. It was the last half of the ninth inning of a “sudden death” playoff game to determine who would win the National League
Championship when Bobby Thomson of the New York Giants strode to the plate. Ralph Branca was on the mound for the Brooklyn Dodgers. He peered in to get his sign, reared back and fired the ball toward home plate. With a mighty swing of his bat, Thomson drove the ball over the fence, and the crowd went wild. It was called “The shot heard ‘round the world.” And Bobby Thomson earned a permanent place in baseball lore.

Many years ago, the Israelites found themselves in a different type of “sudden death”
situation. Fleeing from Pharaoh’s army, they found their escape blocked by the Red Sea.
As often happens in such a dire situation, the Israelites looked for someone to blame.

And they said unto Moses, Because there
were no graves in Egypt, hast thou taken us
away to die in the wilderness?
Exodus 14:11

Even though they were facing imminent death, they couldn’t resist a touch of sarcasm. If
ever anyone needed a miracle, it was Moses. Moses called out to God and God told him
to command the sea to part:

And Moses stretched out his hand over the
sea, and the Lord caused the sea to go
back by a strong east wind all that night,
and made the sea dry land, and the waters
were divided.

Exodus 14:21

Not all miracles are as dramatic as the parting of the Red Sea, or even Bobby Thomson’s home run. When you get right down to it, most things that are called “miracles” these days aren’t miracles at all. Merriam Webster defines a miracle as: “An extraordinary event manifesting divine intervention in human affairs”. I don’t think that God had anything to do with Thomson’s home run, and I feel confident that He takes no credit for creating Miracle Whip salad dressing. That doesn’t mean that God doesn’t intervene in our daily lives.


Everyday Miracles

It was a long time coming. I had come
through a brutal divorce that lasted two years.
What little savings I’d had were long since exhausted and I was more deeply in debt than
I had ever been in my life. I was driving an old Pinto station wagon, which was held
together with bailing wire, two by fours and prayers. It had been over two years since
I’d had a raise at work, and I had two sons to raise. But finally, the day came. I received
word at work that a retroactive salary increase had been approved, and I had a check for
several thousand dollars clutched firmly in my hand. With joyful heart and prayers of
thanksgiving to God, I put my sons in the car to drive down to the bank to deposit the check.

After we left the bank, I walked out to the car with a bounce in my step. The Lord had
lifted a great burden from my shoulders. As I was backing out of the parking space, I noticed the car behind me, waiting impatiently for me to pull out. It was a small parking lot, and spaces were hard to find. In my hurry, I stepped hard on the gas, and it sounded like the whole exhaust system erupted. My poor old Pinto was shaking like she had the fits, and the noise was deafening. I managed to finish backing up, and drove out of the parking lot, my nerves on edge. There was only one thought in my mind; I had to try to get the car down to my mechanic before it completely gave up the ghost.
Even though I was upset about the car, my heart was filled with thanksgiving. I knew that God was with me, and as the bible says,

All things work together for good to them
that love God
Romans 12:28


God had been so good to me! He’d carried me through the darkest time of my life, and
had given me the strength to provide a meager, but hope-full home for my sons. And, just when my Pinto looked like it was ready to breathe its last breath, God had provided me with the finances to get a new, used car. All these thoughts were rushing through my head, as I tried to talk to my sons. The noise from the exhaust system was deafening, and I had to shout in order for my son Gideon to hear me, even though he was sitting in the front seat right next to me.

As I started to shout, “See how good God is, He…” the exhaust system was miraculously healed There we were, cruising down the road, with my Pinto purring like a Cougar. I turned to Gideon and finished the sentence; “See how good God is; he provided us with the money so that we can buy another car, and he miraculously healed our Pinto.” Gideon didn’t believe a word of it. "Aw,Dad, we must have hit a bump in the road that shook the muffler back into place!” “Oh ye of little faith!” I answered. Looking in the rear view mirror, I could see the street disappearing behind me, smooth as silk. They’d just repaved the road and there wasn’t a bump to be found.

And that’s the way God works. Not all miracles are as dramatic as parting the Red Sea,
but the message is the same: God is in charge. Now, it could just as easily be argued that my instantly healed exhaust system on my Pinto
was no more of a miracle than Bobby
Thomson’s home run. That’s the thing about miracles. You accept them on faith. They
can’t be proven, and they certainly can’t be summoned, despite our most fervent prayers.

Reading the accounts of Christ performing miracles, at first it appears that miracles
happen because of our faith. Saint Matthew recounts the story about the woman who had
been diseased with an issue of blood for twelve years. She believed that if she could but
touch the hem of Christ’s garment, she would be healed.

But when Jesus turned him about, and when
he saw her he said, Daughter, be of good
comfort; thy faith hath made thee whole.

Matthew 9:22

Christ also stated that:

If ye have faith as a grain of mustard
seed, ye shall say unto this mountain,
Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall
remove.

Matthew 17:20

The danger in seeking miracles based on the strength of our faith is that when a prayer
seems to go unanswered and the miracle never happens, we may fault our faith as not being strong enough. After all, Christ used the phrase, “Oh, ye of little faith” as often as
he did “thy faith hath made thee whole.” Miracles are God’s call. We can pray for a
miracle, and that is good. God wants to know our hearts, and he is touched by our
compassion. But as he said,

For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
neither are your ways my ways

Isaiah 55:8


As for God, his way is perfect

2nd Samuel 22:31

Not every mountain that we tell to “Remove hence to yonder place,” is going to heed our command. Sometimes we have to pray,

Lord, don’t move the mountain, but give me
the strength to climb
And Lord, don’t take away my stumbling
block, but lead me all around
Lord, Don’t Move the Mountain by Inez Andrews

When God reaches out his hand and moves your mountain, all that you can do is praise him. Don’t ask questions. And if he doesn’t, know that God in his infinite love will give you the strength to climb.

Jerry Rasmussen

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